Feb. 22, 2014

Final Stats | Postmatch Comments

CHICAGO - The No. 1 Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team kept its perfect MIVA record intact with a hard-fought 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-21, 25-18) victory over IPFW tonight behind a double-double (19 kills, 11 digs) from Thomas Jaeschke. With the win over the Mastodons, the Ramblers improve to 13-1 (6-0 MIVA) for the season.

"We're getting over that midpoint of the season right now and the guys are working really hard and grinding it out every day," said head coach Shane Davis. "IPFW is one of the better teams in our conference. They kill the ball very well. They don't have many holes, and they can hit you at any position. They did a really nice job of killing the ball, siding out, and keeping the service pressure on us."

Both teams came out clicking on all cylinders in the opening set. Loyola took the first four points before a service error allowed the Mastodons their first point of the match. The two teams then battled it out to the 16-all. After an IPFW service error and a Jaeschke kill, Loyola suffered a service error and an attack error to again even the score at 18-18. A kill from IPFW's Andrew Sellan then gave the Mastodons a 19-18 lead, forcing a Loyola timeout. Jaeschke came out of the break guns blazing, finding the floor immediately to tie the set at the 19-all. After IPFW's Ramon Burgos smashed a kill to make the score 22-21, two consecutive Owen McAndrews kills set Loyola up for match point at 24-21. Following an IPFW timeout, an attack error by Burgos closed the set, 25-21.

The second set was by far the closest throughout, with 13 tie scores and three lead changes. Loyola again jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on an IPFW attack error and Nicholas Olson kill before IPFW battled back to tie the score at the 6-all on an Omar Rivera kill. The two teams went back and forth for the rest of the set, trading points until the 20-all. After a kill from Jaeschke gave the Ramblers a one-point lead, two more kills from Eddie Rivera allowed IPFW to regain the lead, 22-21. The Ramblers took a timeout and came out of the break full throttle as McAndrews pounded a kill to tie the set, 22-22. IPFW continued to fight back, however, taking a 24-22 lead after a Sellan kill and a Rivera ace. Though another McAndrews kill brought the Ramblers back within one and forced a timeout, Rivera found the floor on the other side of an IPFW timeout to give the Mastodons the set, 25-23.

Loyola was much more dominant in the third set, leading by as many as four after a Sellan attack error made the score 12-8. As IPFW pushed back, the Ramblers continued to battle, regaining a four-point lead again at the 17-13 mark on another Sellan attack error. After an IPFW timeout, two McAndrews kills gave the Ramblers another four-point lead at the 19-15 mark, but IPFW stuck around and came back within one after a Joe Smalzer service error made the score 21-20. Smalzer followed it up with a kill, however, as did Jaeschke, forcing an IPFW timeout with a 23-20 Loyola lead. After a Sellan kill, Jaeschke ripped two of his own to give the Ramblers the third set, 25-21.

Loyola ran away with the fourth and final set, but not before the two teams were tied at the 8-all after a McAndrews kill. Jaeschke then served up two aces in a row to make the score 10-8 before he suffered a service error that stemmed the tide. The Ramblers continued to build on their momentum, however, and led by as many as five after a Jaeschke kill at the 20-15 mark. IPFW then took a timeout to regroup, but Loyola was too much for the Mastodons to handle. Behind three kills from Olson, one kill from Smalzer, a service ace from Dainis Berzins, the Ramblers took the fourth set 25-18.

Jaeschke was terrific for the Ramblers, posting his third double-double of the season (19 kills, 11 digs) along with four service aces and one block. Smalzer was just as clutch, posting 14 kills, five digs and two blocks. McAndrews and Berzins led Loyola under the net, putting up five blocks and four blocks, respectively.

For the match, Loyola outhit its opponent .379-.305 and enjoyed a 58-52 advantage in kills.

The Ramblers return to action on Feb. 27 when they travel to Quincy, Ill. to take on Quincy at 7:00 p.m.